


Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas

by DonnesCafe



Series: Christmas Visitations with Wedding Interludes [2]
Category: Sherlock (TV)
Genre: Christmas, F/M, Holidays, M/M, Mycroft is such a good brother, Texting, discussions of holiday attire, relationships, schmoop and fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-03-22
Updated: 2014-03-22
Packaged: 2018-01-16 13:27:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,478
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1349029
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DonnesCafe/pseuds/DonnesCafe
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Mycroft is giving a Christmas party and preparations are underway. Sherlock needs a date. John has to wear a tux. Greg and Mycroft have a secret. Molly needs a dress. A flurry of texting and phone calls ensues.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas

_Have yourself a merry little Christmas,_  
 _Let your heart be light._  
 _From now on our troubles will be out of sight._  


~~ lyrics, Ralph Blane  


~~~~~  


YOU SEE S? WHAT DID HE SAY? HOME FOR DINNER? G 

_Said yes. Not usual acerbic self. Wonder if sickening for something. Yes, dinner thank god. M_

DO U THINK WE SHD TELL HIM BEFORE PARTY? OR DO U THINK HE ALREADY KNOWS? G 

_Hasn’t a clue. He sees but does not observe. Adding a smiley face is beneath me. M_

NOT ME. :-D OH, AND :* G 

_:*?M_

LOL. WILL SHOW U TONIGHT. :* GO SAVE FREE WORLD. G 

~~~~~ 

“Hello?” 

“Hi, Mrs. H. It’s Molly. How’s the hip?” 

“Not too bad, dear. But thanks for asking. So, did Mycroft talk to you?” 

“Yeah, and I’m worried.” 

“What about?” 

“Well, for one thing about what I’m going to wear. I’m not sure I have anything grand enough for Mycroft. Mary said he lives in a mansion in Belgravia. I mean, I think Sunday best is ok for Christmas dinner, but he wants us all to stay over. Sounds like Christmas Eve is going to be all champagne and caviar. Mary’s going to wear a violet silk floor length dress and the pearls John got her when the baby was born. I’ve never needed anything like that before.” 

“Want to meet tomorrow for lunch and some shopping? I could use something festive myself.” 

“That would be great, Mrs. H.” 

“Molly-love, call me Martha. Looks like we’re all going to be family.” They both giggled. 

“It’s not just the dress. Mycroft said he would arrange a date for me.” 

“Oh, my. That doesn’t sound like the Holmes boys at all. Why would he think of something so nice?” 

“Why nice? Mycroft sort of scares me. Who would he pick? I mean think about the people he knows.” 

"Oh, dear. I see what you mean. Maybe an old rich stick of a diplomat.” 

“Maybe rich isn’t so bad,” Molly said. “Or, wait…. A royal! He knows them all. That’s what I need. A minor, very, very minor cousin of Prince Harry. What do you think?” 

“Well, just so it’s not Sherlock.” Mrs. Hudson sounded suddenly worried. “I know it’s none of my business, love, really I do, but….” 

“No, no, Mrs. H. I mean Martha. I don’t mind. But I really have gotten over the…. crush. That wasn’t the real Sherlock. I really do love him, the real him, and I always will. But the real him isn’t who I had the thing for, was it?” 

“No, dear? Well, good for you then. We’ll just have to see who Mycroft comes up with.” 

“Just one other thing,” Molly said. “Um… did you know about Mycroft and Greg?” 

“What about them, dear?” 

“I was afraid of that. Let’s save that for lunch tomorrow if you don’t know already. That means Sherlock doesn’t know either. Bugger all men.” 

Mrs. Hudson just laughed. 

~~~~ 

I THINK YOU NEED TO TAKE TUX FOR XMAS EVE. XOX. M 

_Bloody hell.xox.J_

YOU KNOW WHEN HIS PA SAID DRESSY SHE MEANT REALLY. U HAVE ONE. ARMY REUNION DINNER DANCE. U HANDSOME DEVIL U. XXX. M 

_S asked if I was going to wear one. He will if I will. If u see S in tux u may lust after him. Don’t break up our happy home. D:_

IDIOT. AM PACKING THE TUX. :-P xoxoxox M 

~~~~~ 

WILL U B MY DATE FOR XMAS HORROR? MYCROFT SAYS MUST HAVE DATE. SH 

_Sure u have right #? G_

YES GREG. SEE I DO KNOW. B MY DATE. PLEASE. SH 

_Already have date. Dance card full. Sorry. G_

???? WHO? SH 

_It will be a lovely surprise. G_

Lestrade looked down at his phone. He was scared shitless. What would Sherlock think? What would he say? It had happened fast between them. They had worked on the pseudo-Moriarty case so closely together. Had taken to having the occasional drink. He had started to discover that there was more to Sherlock’s brother than power and brains and expensive suits. He was…. interesting. Surprisingly easy to talk to. Then Mycroft had made a miscalculation in the investigation and Greg had been kidnapped and…. other things. After three days, Mycroft had found him. Had come in himself with a flurry of operatives and weapons. When he woke up in the hospital, Mycroft had been the only one in the room. It was dark, and Greg could just see his outline. Mycroft bent down and kissed him. Not gently. As dreadful as he had felt in almost every other way, physical and mental, that kiss had felt good. Really, really wonderful, actually. The fact that Mycroft cared about him had felt wonderful and, somehow, right. And things had progressed from there. He was in love with Sherlock Holmes’ brother. Christmas was going to be hell. 

Sherlock looked down at his phone. Lovely? Did Lestrade just use the word ‘lovely’? He was sure it wouldn’t be a lovely surprise. Greg’s taste in women had proved unfortunate. Christmas was going to be hell. 

MOLLY?? IS IT MOLLY? SH 

If Greg hurt Molly, he would become violent. 

_No. Got to go. Case. G_

WHO IS IT?? SH 

No answer. Damn. Should he ask Molly to go with him, then? Not as a date, but as friends who were conforming to Mycroft’s ridiculous requirement that they bring dates. It was supposed to be a family party. Since he had come back, he felt that he and Molly really had become friends. Even after her broken engagement, he didn’t think she really wanted a relationship with him. Maybe it was safe now. 

~~~~~ 

MOLLY? SH 

_Hi there. What’s up? Need a body? M_

YES. YOURS. I MEAN NO. NOT A DEAD BODY. I NEED A “DATE” FOR THE XMAS DO. ;( SH 

_So you need me as a stand-in for a “Real” “Date”? Yr lucky am above making warm body jokes. M_

HA, HA. I THOUGHT WE WERE FRIENDS NOW? SH 

_We are, you git. Relax. :) M_

SO YOU’LL GO W ME? o/ \o SH 

_Don’t o/ \o so soon. Have date. M_

WHAT? WHO?? SH 

_:-P Rude to sound shocked. M._

SORRY. WHO? SH 

_Some doctor Mycroft knows. M_

BUGGER MYCROFT. SH 

_It was thoughtful of him. M_

INTERFERING BUSYBODY. SH 

_Goodnight. M_

IS THERE EMOTICON FOR BUGGER MYCROFT BUT I HOPE THE DOCTOR IS NICE AND NOT A SOCIOPATH AND THAT U HAVE A GOOD TIME AT CHRISTMAS? SH 

_O:-3 Night. M_

O:-3 U R 2 U KNOW. SLEEP WELL. SH 

~~~~~ 

Sherlock was realistic about his strengths and weaknesses, but had never actually assessed them in terms of obtaining a date. He knew that he was fairly attractive and intelligent. He was a well-known figure with an international reputation. That ought to count for something. But he was also realistic about his deficiencies. He was socially awkward and there was the sociopath thing. He was trying to overcome those weaknesses and, he thought, succeeding to some extent. 

A more immediate barrier was the fact that he only knew three women: Molly, Mrs. Hudson, and Irene Adler. Molly had a date, Mrs. Hudson was like a second mother to him, so that would be rather awkward. He’d love to take Irene just to irritate Mycroft, but last time they texted she had been in Mumbai. 

He would have no problem taking a man, but John was married and Lestrade was, apparently, taken for the night. 

He picked up his phone. 

AM NOT BRINGING DATE. UNLESS U WANT TO FIX ME UP. U SEEM TO HAVE BRANCHED OUT INTO MATCHMAKING. SH 

_Don’t be petulant. I thought I was doing both you and Ms. Hooper a favor. M_

YOU’RE PROBABLY RIGHT. SH 

_Are you coming down with something? I won’t have my party spoiled. M_

WHO IS THIS DOCTOR? SH 

_Freddy Parkington’s younger brother. Perfectly respectable. Brilliant, right age, money. They have things in common. M_

A SPY? SH 

_Hardly ever. Researcher in agents for biological warfare, mostly theoretical. Protection against, not weaponization. Helps us out from time to time. M_

I WON’T HAVE MOLLY DATING A SPOOK. 

_Relax. Just helps out from his perch at U London. Not field work. She’ll like him. He’ll like her.M_

NOT A SOCIOPATH? SH 

_Much milder case than yours. He’s her type. Imagine a smiley face. M_

SO NO DATE FOR ME. SH 

_Don’t be more of an idiot than you can help. Call Janine.M_

?? SHE HATES ME. SH 

_Imagine a heavy sigh. Hate and love run together, brother. I like her. Call. Apologize. Grovel. Tell her to call me, and I'll vouch for the fact that you are daily becoming more like a human being. Tell her I’ll send a car for her and that if she can't stomach you in the end I'll find her a better alternative. Promise. M_


End file.
